A new report from Total Beauty Media Group reveals that women are increasing the time they spend researching products; that they trust peer-based product reviews highest; and that they want deeper brand experiences when selecting new products to try out. The new report, entitled “Get Added to the Shopping Cart: How Brands Can Better Engage Women Researching Products Online,” provides insights on female shoppers and how they engage with brands online.

“The beauty and health product category releases more than 3,000 products each year. Eighty percent are being sold in mass channel retail locations where there is little guidance, which is a great learning for many marketers who want to fine-tune how they market to women,” says Emrah Kovacoglu, founder and CEO of Total Beauty Media Group. “We conducted this research to provide brands with a deeper perspective on the mindset of the female shopper as she’s crafting her shopping list, [because] that's a critical point at which her purchase intent can be influenced."

The report outlines additional insights, including:

Context continues to be king: Women spend 50% more time researching products online when it is surrounded by related category content, such as editorial reviews or consumer ratings.

Brand awareness drives intent: When looking for new beauty products, 66% of women were brand specific when they begin their research.

Samples matter: More than a third of women could be enticed by a trial; 32% of women indicated that a sample served as a top influential touch point that drove their purchase.